'Calamity Jane' rides into town Thursday

Thomas A. Kvamme, Scope

There's one thing for certain in this community.

When it comes to providing entertainment, the folks at Entertainment Inc! put their best foot forward and get after it.

Being able to enjoy theatre productions only adds to the quality of life in this area.

Hey, after being cooped up all winter, it's time to get out of the house and see what's happening.

All you need to do is venture over to the Old Armory Theatre, where over the course of the next five days, you will be able to enjoy "Calamity Jane."

This musical comedy will lift your spirits, while taking you back in time and places you in the area of the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory before statehood.

The setting dates back to 1876 and the action is slated in Deadwood City.

ADAPTED MUSICAL

Jack Dyville, who has returned home from New York to direct this production, tells us the musical was adapted from the Warner Brothers movie of the 1950s.

This presentation offers a number of hit songs, with the Academy award-winning "Secret Love" among the favorites.

The Old West will be brought to life as the cast of 17 works to stir up the action.

LEADING THE WAY

Ann Newhouse Ronning, a high school teacher in Bainville, Mont., will be in the lead role of Calamity Jane.

Ronning is no stranger to the local stage having appeared as Mama Rose in "Gypsy" and as Verna Charles in "Mame," while also serving on the board of directors of Entertainment Inc!.

The part of Wild Bill Hickock belongs to JC LaBar of White Earth, who is a sophomore at Williston State College.

LaBar has been involved with the local program for one year and was last seen on stage in "Miracle on 34th Street."

Making his stage debut with Entertainment Inc! will be Steve Lang, who will fill the role as Lt. Gil Martin.

Rounding out the lead characters is Susan Sinclair, returning home to assume the role of Katie Brown.

Sinclair, a graduate of North Dakota State University, is now working for District 1.

"With only a cast of 17 you will think there's many more with a lot of movement and changes," said Dyville.

LOVE THE SET

Dyville is very excited about the set as he said, "the set is very exciting and you will think you're in Medora."

Dyville credits B. Michael Quale with another outstanding job as technical director, with key assistance from Matthew Olson and Kevin Duttenhefner.

"Thank goodness Matthew's spring break came at this time as he showed his versatility once again," said Dyville.

At the same time, Dyville praised the work of Duttenhefner, who is the art instructor at the Williston Middle School.

The backdrop Duttenhefner created is a mural of Deadwood.

CALL FOR TICKETS

With the hard work and long hours of rehearsals behind them, it's almost time for the show.

Reserved seating is available and all you have to do is call 577-3179 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays to hold your seats.

Performances are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by evening shows Friday, Saturday and Monday, at the same time.

If those times don't fit your schedule, you will have an option to attend a matinee set for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Getting out and supporting the local programs is very important and the individuals, who put in hours and hours of preparation, are rewarded with your applause.

FIDDLE SEMINAR NUMBER

Earlier we told you about a fiddle/violin workshop set for this weekend in Williston.

We should first tell you the correct number to call for details and registration is 572-8286, as an earlier number was listed incorrectly.

The event is being sponsored locally by Phil and C'Dale Jore and they have gone to a lot of work to put on a special event.

Crystal Plohman will be the featured guest and this should be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about playing these instruments.

Plohman has spent time recently in Ireland and previously was in Belgium conducting workshops.

You can learn more about her by clicking on her website at www.crystalplohman.com.

The local workshops are open to anyone interested whether you're a beginner or advanced, however you must pre-register.

It all begins at 7 p.m. Friday with the opening session at First Union Church.

As a part of the weekend activities Phil Jore will be leading a country Gospel service at 11 a.m. on Sunday at First Union.

This service is open to the public.

VOLK CD AVAILABLE

If you had an opportunity to hear 13-year-old Kelli Volk of Sherwood perform at the Williston Sports & Recreation Show you just might want to hear more.

Should that be the case, you can stop by Books on Broadway in downtown Williston and pick up a copy of her first recording.

Volk has been working with Williston native Celeste Krenz and she traveled recently to Nashville where she recorded the album in the studio under the direction of Krenz's husband Bob Tyler.

While at Books on Broadway you can also check out the recorded works of other local and state artists including Krenz, D.W. Groethe, Mylo Hatzenbuhler and Rodney Nelson.

CAREERS IN MUSIC

On that note, if you've ever given any thought to a career in the music industry, you just might be interested in attending a seminar in Bismarck on Saturday.

Grammy winning producer Greg Nelson, a Bismarck native, will be on hand along with Krenz.

This full day seminar with Nashville music industry professionals is being held in conjunction with North Dakota Dollars for Scholars program.

You can call (701) 347-0051 for registration information.

SHRINE CIRCUS COMING

On April 5 the Shrine Circus will take over the Raymond Family Community Center with a number of variety acts on hand to amaze young and old alike.

We have learned Spiderman will be making a special appearance with the circus this year with some aerial acts up his sleeve.

Local Shriners will play host for two performances that are planned here.

The first call of the ringmaster is set for 4 p.m., followed by another at 7 p.m.

CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

With all of the events upcoming in the months ahead, every effort will be made to keep you updated.

One place you can turn to is the Continue Your Journey section listed on the top of Page A2 each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Through this space the Williston Convention and Visitors Bureau provides a listing of major community events.

For local tourism information you can also click on www.willistonndtourism.com for a detailed listing.

One thing for sure, with all of the fun activities being planned, you certainly don't want to miss out.

We should also inform you that if you have any questions on the "Lewis and Clark At the Confluence" events you can ring up Diane Brandt at (406) 228-4515 for details.

Brandt is serving as the event coordinator for a full slate of activities set for April 29 through May 1.

scope@willistonherald.com|572-2165